Manchevski's multinational co-prod'n low-key

's Most Recent Stories

VENICE — Heat and “Dust” set the tone as the 58th Venice Intl. Film Festival got under way Wednesday amid sweltering humidity, an opening ceremony low on star wattage and a downbeat critical response to the world premiere of Milcho Manchevski’s blood-drenched Balkan Western.

While Venice in recent years has kicked off with a Hollywood glow, opening with films including “Saving Private Ryan,” “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Space Cowboys,” all accompanied by major star power, Manchevski’s multinational co-production “Dust” provided a more low-key curtain-raiser.

Along with the director and producers, Australian actor David Wenham was on hand to rep the film with female leads Anne Brochet and Nikolina Kujaca, but co-star Joseph Fiennes failed to show.

“Coming to Venice is like coming home for me,” said Manchevski of his choice of the Italian fest to premiere his long-awaited sophomore work out of competition.

Related

However, Manchevski’s homecoming has failed to elicit the same critical welcome as his first trip to Venice in 1994, when the Macedonian director’s debut feature, “Before the Rain,” walked away with the Golden Lion.

Critical reaction

General reaction to press screenings on the Lido skewed toward the negative, with questioning during the film’s official press conference taking a hostile turn. Widespread objections to the tale’s extreme violence and brutality indicate a difficult commercial future for the English-language pic.

“Dust” is one of a handful of key titles here available for North American distribution that acquisitions scouts on the Lido will be studying to see how they play with audiences.

Walter Salles’ “Behind the Sun,” Goran Paskaljevic’s “How Harry Became a Tree,” Clare Peploe’s “The Triumph of Love,” Jill Sprecher’s “13 Conversations About One Thing” and “Asoka,” by Indian director Santosh Sivan, who had a critical breakthrough with “The Terrorist,” are other pics buyers have expressed interest in and will be tracking closely, hoping to get the jump on their Toronto screenings.

Frontline U.S. arthouse distribs represented in Venice include Miramax, Fine Line, Paramount Classics, USA Films, Universal Focus and IFC. And while the number of prime titles still available for distribution may be down from previous fests, tradester registrations at Venice’s industry office are up 50% to 1,500 from 1,000 last year.

Venice officially opened in a lethargic televised ceremony without major stars. President Nanni Moretti presented his colleagues on the official competition jury, while fest chief Alberto Barbera took the stage to outline the fest’s new twin competition structure.

Variety of cinema

“There are countless different types of cinema in the world today, from spectacular Hollywood films to experimental work and the digital films currently in a phase of rapid development; from films that look through the eyes of women to work from the young filmmakers of yesterday that have become the masters of today,” Barbera said.

“It’s to give the attention they deserve to all these faces of cinema that this year we have two competitions with two top awards.”

Local media coverage and talk along the Lido has centered on how the rise to power of Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right coalition may affect Barbera and Paola Baratta, president of the Biennale arts foundation that controls the fest. The new prime minister may want to install more politically aligned figures to run key national cultural events. Barbera’s term includes the 2002 fest, but Baratta’s term is up for renewal in April. However, Venice insiders insist the semi-privatized Biennale is sufficiently autonomous to be immune to political manipulation.

Sign Up for Daily Insider Newsletter

MADRID — In 1925, Luis Buñuel, son of one of the richest men in the Spanish region of Aragón, went to Paris to make films with Salvador Dalí. The results were two surrealist shorts, 1929’s “Un Chien Andalou,” his passport to membership of André Breton’s surrealists, and “L’Age d’Or,” banned by the Paris police. The [...]

The standard black tuxedo men donned to awards shows for decades is quickly becoming an outmoded uniform. From bold colors, to striking textures, to novel silhouettes, men’s awards show looks are now just as fashion-forward as women’s. “It was a slow evolution and then a really quick evolution,” says Ilaria Urbinati, who styles Rami Malek, [...]

Sundance and the Grammys. Here’s where to trip a little light fantastic and celebrate in style, forget disappointments and, best of all, reconnect with loved ones or yourself. FAMILY GETAWAYSDisney magic: Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. The Disneyland Resort is expert at handling VIPs and the 948-room Grand Californian is its hotel [...]

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” flew to $3 million at about 3,200 North American location on Thursday night. The figure doubled the preview gross for “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” which pulled in $1.5 million two weeks ago on Feb. 8. Universal has predicted an opening weekend for “How to [...]

The romantic comedy as we’ve known it may well be on its last legs. There is now a whole generation that sees through its synthetic stylings and princess fakery — and, more than that, feels fundamentally insulted by them. Yet “Isn’t It Romantic,” the beguiling meta version of a kitschy-koo romantic comedy, proves (among other [...]

The 91st Academy Awards are just four days away. This year’s broadcast, the first in decades without a host, should be a memorable one. For once, comic book movies such as “Black Panther” have been invited to the party and the crop of best picture contenders includes a number of blockbusters such as “A Star [...]

Stars party all around Hollywood before, during, and after the Oscars. Here, Variety hits the town to give you the inside scoop on all the star-studded soirées. Keep checking back throughout the weekend for the latest updates… Variety x Armani Beauty Makeup Artistry Dinner Sunset Tower, Los Angeles, Feb. 20 Variety and Giorgio Armani Beauty honored makeup artists [...]